Stradivarius plays Big Orange like a fiddle in Goodwood Cup

Stradivarius, who won the Group 2 Queen’s Vase Stakes at Royal Ascot in June in his stakes debut, scored an upset in Tuesday’s Group 1, $686,800 Goodwood Cup at Goodwood Racecourse, finishing 1 3/4 lengths in front of 3-2 favorite Big Orange.

Big Orange won the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and won the Goodwood Cup in 2015 and 2016.

Stradivarius gave trainer John Gosden his second Group 1 win in four days. Saturday, the Gosden-trained Enable won the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, Stradivarius (6-1) closed from the middle of the field of 14 to catch leader Big Orange in the final furlong. Desert Skyline, a 14-1 shot, finished third.

Stradivarius, a 3-year-old colt by Sea The Stars, has won 4 of 7 starts for owner Bjorn Nielsen. As a result of Tuesday’s win Stradivarius is a 4-1 chance with British bookmakers in the future book for the Group 1 St. Leger Stakes at 1 3/4 miles at Doncaster on Sept. 16.

Atzeni had a brilliant day, winning four of the seven races on the first of five days of racing at the "Glorious Goodwood" meeting.